Tales from the Hub
by unshakespearean
Summary: A series of oneshots tracking the various antics of Jack, Gwen, and the rest of the team at the Hub. Gwen/Jack, Owen/Tosh, and please don't complain about the no-Janto-ness of this piece. Some angst, some laughs, and fluff out the wazoo. Rated T for Torchwood (honestly NO Torchwood stories should be rated below T, IMHO) Crosses with my story "Cassie"
1. A New Beginning

**Chapter One: A New Beginning**

"Rhys, I'm home!" Gwen called, taking a few steps inside.

There was no response.

"Rhys? Are you home?"

Still nothing. "Rhys?"

"Shit!" Rhys's voice called from their bedroom.

"Rhys? Are you alright?"

He came out of their bedroom, closing the door a bit more quickly than usual.

"Gwen! What are you doing back so early? Don't you usually work late?"

"Well, since I've worked late every night this past month, Jack basically insisted that I go home before everyone else did. Why?"

"Oh, well..."

Gwen took a second look at him, and realized his hair was disheveled, his shirt on backwards, as though he had rushed in putting it on, and then she realized that his lips were _never _that pink.

"Rhys? What's going on?" _No way. Not Rhys. Rhys would never... _She walked past him and opened the door to their bedroom to reveal a half-naked woman in their bed, _her _bed.

"Who the hell are you?!" Gwen could feel fire burning in her veins.

"Gwen, love, I didn't..."

"I know who you are, _Rhys_," Gwen snapped. "Who. Is. In. My. Bed?!"

"My name's Taylor Wilson," she said, sitting up in the bed. Gwen took a better look at her, and the first words that came to her mind were "stereotypical whore." And it was pretty true. This Taylor character had dyed blond hair, smudged makeup that was probably once pretty, and breasts that would make the guys at Torchwood stare for longer than usual... and _that _said something. "Who are you? What do you mean, _your _bed? Rhys, what's going on?"

_Stay calm, Gwen. Just imagine she's an alien or something. Just like at work. Don't freak out. _"I'm Gwen Cooper," she replied, her voice icy cold. "And, last I checked, I'm Rhys's girlfriend, and this is my bedroom."

"Rhys?" asked Taylor. "Rhys, is she-"

"Gwen, love, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Rhys's face turned very, very red.

Gwen turned to face Rhys. "So, _love_, how long have you been sleeping with this Taylor Wilson?" She tried to keep her voice as strong as possible, holding back tears.

"Only... only..."

"Two months," Taylor said softly. Gwen turned to see the blond woman looking surprisingly apologetic. "But I had no idea, Gwen, honestly, I had no clue. I'm so sorry."

"Gwen, it was an accident," Rhys pleaded. "I was at a club, and I got drunk, and I snogged her, and then I took her home."

"And then you did it again and again every night for two months?" Gwen knew the answer, though.

"What was I supposed to do? You're always out, you're never home, all you ever think about is your special ops and your Captain Jack-"

"How _dare _you?!" Gwen's eyes filled with tears at what Rhys was implying.

"Oh, like you aren't having an affair as well. You bloody hypocrite. Jack Harkness, you've been shagging him too, I know it. Every night coming home a mess, always working late shifts, yeah, I see right through it." He grabbed her by the shirt, lifted her a few inches into the air, and pressed her against the wall. "I spent three months just dealing with it, and talking about how responsible and hardworking you are, and then I realized _exactly_ what was going on. So what's it to you that I'm sleeping with someone else, huh? And at least Taylor didn't know about you, but Jack knows full well about me and he's still shagging you."

"He's _not_!" Gwen shrieked. "Let me _go_, Rhys!" She kicked at him, trying to break free, but he only pressed her harder against the wall, the six drinks he had had clear on his breath. Nobody noticed Taylor creeping out the door to call 999.

* * *

"See you tomorrow, guys," said Jack as Owen, Tosh, and Ianto left. "Get some sleep; I have a feeling we'll be running all over the place tomorrow."

He watched his three teammates leave and then sank down at his desk. All he could think about was Gwen Cooper.

He had seen something in her from the very first day, something so special. Gwen reminded him just a bit of his old friend Rose Tyler, whom he was pretty sure had been lost at the Battle of Canary Wharf, but while he had loved Rose like a sister (despite having flirted with her from the moment they met), Gwen was something different. This was so much deeper and stronger than that. This was real love.

If only she loved him the same way.

A beeping noise from Tosh's CCTV monitor pulled Jack from his thoughts. He went over to the computer, and his heart stopped (and then restarted again).

* * *

Gwen was finding it harder and harder to breathe as Rhys continued to push her against the wall, the smell of booze so thick in his breath and voice. She could feel herself fading, and she was terrified. She tried to struggle, but Rhys only pushed harder.

"Rhys, please!" she sobbed. But he had no pity, no mercy. It was worse than any alien she had faced. This wasn't a stranger from another world. This was Rhys, her boyfriend, at his worst, drunk and angry and upset, and it was terrifying and heartbreaking.

She silently prayed that someone would come, someone would see her. She imagined Tosh seeing this on CCTV, calling the others, and all four of her teammates running for the car, Jack leading the line with fire in his eyes. But Tosh and Owen and Ianto were all at home, and Jack wasn't watching the monitors. What would Jack say, when she didn't come to work the next day and never did again? Would he miss her?

She wanted desperately to cry out his name, for it was all that was on her mind. But she knew that if she said Jack's name, Rhys would only hurt her more. So she stayed silent, but in her head she screamed, begging for Jack, somebody, _anybody_, to save her.

* * *

Jack broke the speed limit all the way to Gwen's, ran for the door, and burst it open to see a blond woman on the phone. _Probably 999._

"What the- I haven't even hung up yet!"_ Yep, 999._

"I'm not the police, now _move_!" He ran past her and opened Gwen's door to see something he wished he could forget immediately: Gwen Cooper, _his_ Gwen, pushed up against the wall, feet kicking in the air, struggling to breathe, sobbing and terrified.

"_Put her down_!" he shouted. Rhys dropped Gwen in shock, and she nearly hit the floor but Jack was ready, catching her and placing her on her feet.

"Jack," she whispered, with tears in her eyes that burned in his heart.

"Shhh," he murmured, pulling her into a quick hug. "I've got you."

The blond woman appeared at the door. "Police are on the way," she said. "Taylor, by the way."

"Thanks, Taylor," Jack replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "Gwen, go with her."

"Jack-"

"_Go_." He winced at how firm his voice was; he never wanted to be like that with Gwen. But this was an emergency.

Taylor led Gwen out of the room, leaving Jack and Rhys in the room together.

"You." Rhys's voice was icy and fiery at the same time. "Of course it would be you, Jack Harkness the hero, swooping in at the last minute. What don't I know about, you bastard? What have you been doing with Gwen behind my back?"

"Now you listen," said Jack. He took a step towards Rhys, who stepped back in fear. "You know full well that Gwen would never cheat on you. And if you had just been cheating on Gwen, I might've let her handle it herself. But the minute you lay a hand on her, you've got me to deal with. And anyone who's faced me knows that you do _not _want to get on my bad side."

"You aren't really the police, are you? What can you do to me?"

"No, I'm not," Jack admitted. His eyes filled with flame. "But I'll tell you, you'd much rather deal with _them_ than with _me_."

The aforementioned police walked in the door, putting Rhys in handcuffs and leading him outside, taking Taylor with them for further questioning. Nobody spoke. The only sounds were of the blaring sirens, and Gwen, softly crying from the couch. He could feel the sinking pain in his chest as he looked down at her, trembling with fear, her head buried in her hands. He sat down on the couch next to her, wrapping his arms around her shaking body.

"Jack," she sobbed. "Oh my God, _Jack_-"

"Shhhhhh..." Jack placed a hand on her cheek, trying to calm her. "It's okay, Gwen. I've got you. You're safe now." He held her a bit tighter, rubbing her back, murmuring soft words of comfort. And yet she continued to shake in his arms, from the fear and tears, and from shock, which gave him an idea. As though it were a shock blanket, he draped his long coat over her shoulders, still rocking her back and forth and telling her that everything would be fine, that she was safe, that he was there.

* * *

Gwen felt Jack's coat on her shoulders and immediately was surrounded by his familiar scent. She breathed it in, and she felt something flutter in her stomach. Something she had never felt when close to Rhys or to anyone else, but that she always felt when Jack was near. She had always pushed that little flutter aside, telling herself that a: she was taken and b: it wouldn't happen. Jack wouldn't ever want her. He was Captain Jack Harkness, immortal leader of Torchwood, and she was just Gwen, mortal, new-girl Gwen who made mistakes all the time.

But there were times when it was just them, and they were so close, in a way that she knew the others envied a bit. They had confided in each other a bit more than they did in the others. She was the only one who knew about his immortality. He always was very kind to her, even with all of her mistakes, and there were times where she wondered if maybe, just maybe, there was something more. And she hoped. Oh, she _hoped_.

She listened to Jack's heartbeat, that heartbeat that could never ever stop, and she felt herself calming down. She still felt the pain of Rhys's betrayal, still felt the aggressive pressure of his hands against her body, the wall behind her back, her lungs unable to fill themselves. But even that seemed to fade as Jack continued to hold her, one hand on her back, and another gently running through her hair. She felt her body relax a bit in his arms, her mind calmer.

"You're safe now," he murmured in her ear. He had said it a few times already, but this time, it registered.

* * *

Jack felt Gwen's body become more still and relaxed. He pulled away a bit, wanting to see her face, despite how he knew that seeing her in that much pain would break his heart again. Taking a breath to brace himself, he met her eyes.

He could barely look. Her eyes were streaked with red, hollow and clouded, lacking the brightness he always saw in Gwen when she was in action, that he loved so dearly in her. He felt as though he was going to break down in tears right then, but he forced himself to be strong for her, wiping a tear from her eyes, tucking a loose bit of hair behind her ear.

"Jack," she whispered, her voice shaking. She was on the verge of tears again, he could tell. He gently laid a palm on each cheek, cradling her sweet, beautiful face in his hands. "Jack, you _came_..." She sounded so shocked, as though she never thought he would come for her.

"Of course I came, Gwen." He tilted her chin up so she could see his eyes. "I'll _always_ come for you."

* * *

"I'll always come for you," said Jack. Gwen looked into his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. He had always been able to capture her gaze with one look, somehow keep her from turning away, but this was different. His eyes were so... _caring_. Loving, even. Like he loved _her_. Could he...?

He held her face in his hands for just one more moment, and then brought his hands down to her shoulders. She winced as his thumbs grazed the spot where Rhys's thumbs had pressed her against the wall. Leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake, he moved his hands down her arms, and eventually took her hands in his. Still he held her gaze captive with those luminous eyes, and she felt herself blush.

He sighed softly, and then let go of her hands. "Go and pack your things," he said.

"What?" Gwen looked at him quizzically.

"I mean, unless you _want_ to spend the night here." He grinned cheekily. "Come on, get your stuff and let's go." He reached out a hand to help her up, letting his hands linger on her shoulders for a moment.

Gwen smiled slightly at his usual playfulness. He could always read her feelings, know her thoughts. Of course he'd know she wanted to get out of her flat as fast as possible. She breathed deeply and began taking slow steps towards her room. She didn't want to go in there, smell the traces of alcohol, see the remnants of Rhys's betrayal. But then she felt Jack's hand in hers again.

"Like I'd let you go in there alone," he said. She could hear his smile without looking up. More sure of herself now, she walked into her room for the last time.

* * *

"Ready?" Jack gave Gwen's hand a slight squeeze. He hadn't let go since he took her hand to lead her to her room. Even while she packed, he held her hand or else kept a hand on her shoulder as she folded clothes. All this time he had longed for contact with Gwen, but Rhys had gotten in the way. But Rhys was gone now, gone forever, and he could have his Gwen now, just as he always wanted to. So he relished in every second that he held her hand, every time he got to look at her without feeling guilty about it.

"Ready," Gwen replied softly. He could still hear the pain in her voice. But he could help her with that pain now. He smiled, just thinking about her, and, brushing his thumb along the back of her hand, led her out to the car.

Gwen didn't speak as she climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. She was a bit shocked and overwhelmed as she realized, _we're leaving, we're leaving, he's taking me away, Jack's taking me away, Rhys is gone for good, we're leaving, we're leaving, we're leaving_. She looked over at Jack, driving at typical Torchwood top speed down the streets, the only car on the road as it was the ass-crack of dawn, and suddenly she began to giggle.

"What is it?" asked Jack, glancing over at her, smiling slightly.

"It's three in the bloody morning, and you've just picked me up, and you're taking me home with you." Gwen tried to keep her face straight but she couldn't.

"You could look at it that way, I suppose," Jack chuckled. "Or you could look at it in the ridiculously clichéd I-just-rescued-you-from-an-evil-villain sort of way." They both burst out laughing.

"I don't know which one is more like you," Gwen admitted through laughs. "But I'll tell you, it's better than the truth." Her face fell.

"Hey," said Jack, taking a hand off of the wheel to brush hers. "It's over now. It's over for good. And if anyone _ever_ tries to do that to you again, they'll have me to deal with." He cracked a smile. "Over my dead body, Gwen Cooper. That will happen to you over my dead body."

"Oh, now I feel a lot safer," Gwen grinned. She liked being the only person who knew Jack's secret. The others just thought he was crazy stubborn. Owen called him a cat with nine lives. But Jack wasn't a cat with nine lives. He was a cat with infinite lives. And if he promised he'd protect her as long as he lived, she knew she was safe _forever_.

* * *

Jack parked the car and stepped out. "God, it's freezing out!" he called as he got Gwen's suitcase from the back. "You have a coat on, right?"

"Yeah," said Gwen. She followed him out of the car. "Oh, it _is_ cold."

"Here." He pulled Gwen closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Better?"

"Yeah," Gwen smiled slightly as she felt Jack's fingers on her arm.

Both Jack and Gwen sighed deeply in relief as they stepped through the circular door of the Hub. They were home.

"You've been crying a lot," Jack murmured, looking into Gwen's eyes. "Hold on a second. I'll get you some water. Just wait here, okay?"

Gwen nodded, curling up on the couch, a bit sad that he was leaving her even for a few moments, when she felt his coat on top of her again.

"I figured you might want this." Of course he knew exactly what she needed. It was one of the things she loved best about him. He always knew.

* * *

Jack went into the kitchen and got Gwen a glass of water, and then he had an idea. Quietly, so as not to tip her off, he went into the cabinet and pulled out a little bottle of clear liquid. He put a few drops into the glass and brought it back. The liquid was a sort of sedative, not the same one that he had given her the day they met, but a different sort of sedative, designed to bring deep and dreamless sleep. He could tell that she was tired and could use a good night's sleep, especially since she was _always _working extra hours. And, more importantly, she didn't need to be having any flashbacks of tonight plaguing her dreams.

"What took so long?" Gwen asked curiously as Jack returned.

"Owen left the kitchen a bit of a mess," Jack lied quickly.

Gwen chuckled, buying the fib. "Of course he did." She took the glass and had a few sips. "Oh my God, I needed that. Thanks."

"No problem." He picked up the coat and hung it in its usual spot before settling next to Gwen, who had by this point downed the glass of water.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything." He looked into her eyes and he was pained to see how truly grateful she was to him. Like he had done her a favor by saving her from Rhys.

"Don't thank me," he murmured, pulling her close. He buried his face in her thick, dark hair, breathing in her sweet scent. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her head burying deeper into his shoulder. Unable to resist anymore, he pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head.

Gwen felt the gentle kiss in her hair, and her stomach began turning circles. "Jack?" she asked, her head spinning, confused. "Jack, you-" Her hands began to tremble.

"Shhhhhhh..." Jack took her hands in his, trying to steady them. "Yeah. I did."

"You... you just..."

"I know," he said softly, brushing her hands with his fingertips in a way that made Gwen's gut flop about like a fish out of water. "And are you upset about it?"

Once again he captured her with his eyes, and though she felt herself blush, she couldn't look away. _Come on, Gwen. Just answer him. You know you can. Just do it. Say what you've wanted to say all this time. Just one word. _"No," she whispered, not sure whether she had actually said it aloud or not.

Jack smiled softly, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. She could feel the pressure on her hands and she blushed yet more, still unable to turn away as he leaned in closer to her, his lips brushing her forehead this time. Her breath caught in her lungs as he moved his hands again to cradle her face, and suddenly a great rush of emotion flew through her. She threw his arms around him and pressed her lips to his, her heart racing at top speed.

Jack felt Gwen's lips against his and his heart soared with joy. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back, all of his pent-up love for Gwen rushing forward and coming through into the kiss. Sometimes, he had kissed people and his brain had gone numb, but not this time. And it was better this way, he thought. His mind was clear and coherent as he continued to kiss her, and he was so conscious of his feelings for her, and it was incredible.

Gwen, on the other hand, felt her mind fading away. She lost herself in his arms, in the taste of him in her mouth. She felt as though her body were disintegrating, melting into him. This had never happened before, not with Rhys, not with anyone. And she wanted it to last forever.

* * *

Finally, she had to pull away for air. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breaths short and weak, Jack's hands now cradling her face again. God, she loved it when he did that. She leaned into his caress a bit, nuzzling her cheek into the warmth of his palm, her eyes yet again unable to move from his.

"Gwen," Jack murmured, his fingers softly brushing the little tendrils of hair by her ears, causing her to blush, which he happened to find rather cute. "Oh, Gwen, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. _No _idea." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. Despite there being nobody there, he wanted what he was about to say to be heard by Gwen and Gwen alone. This was his moment to tell her what he had wanted to tell her since God knows how long, and nothing was going to ruin it.

"I love you," he whispered. "Gwen Cooper, I love you." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in, before whispering it again, wishing there were better words to describe how he loved her but unable to find them. Again he murmured in her ear, relishing in the feeling of the words on his tongue as he finally got to say them out loud.

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You... you...?" She couldn't get the words out.

Jack looked into her gorgeous green eyes, knowing full well that he had the ability to capture her gaze with his own. "Yes." He was about to say more when Gwen's eyes began to glimmer with tears.

"Jack..." She broke down again, her body shaking. Jack acted on his first instinct. He scooped her into his arms, kissing her forehead gently as he placed her on his lap, supporting her back with one arm and using the other to brush hair and tears from her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. And then the floodgates opened. "I'm so sorry, Jack, I was just so afraid to admit it!" she sobbed. "I do love you, I really do, I should've said it ages ago but I didn't want to, I was just too afraid... Oh, God, I'm so _stupid_..."

Jack felt fire burning in his heart. His Gwen, his sweet, perfect Gwen, loved him... but she was crying out an apology. He knew what he had to address first. "You don't need to be sorry," he soothed. "There's nothing to be sorry for, okay? Nothing. And you aren't stupid, Gwen. You're brilliant. You are strong and smart and beautiful and I love you. And I will spend the rest of my very, very, very long life reminding you that if I have to. I'd suggest you get that into your head quickly, though, because an eternity of my saying that could get a bit boring." He hoped beyond hope that his humor would lighten the mood, and to his relief, she looked up at him and smiled slightly before resting her head against his chest. The sedative was starting to kick in, he realized. She'd probably be asleep in a few minutes.

"You tired, Gwen?" he asked gently, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind a perfectly adorable ear.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I don't know why, I wasn't that tired earlier, but just now... Wait a minute! Jack, did you drug me again?" Jack felt his face reddening a bit. That Gwen, she was so clever... and he loved it. "Oh, you bastard! What did you give me?"

Jack planted another delicate kiss on her forehead. "I just gave you a little something to help you sleep," he cooed, cradling her cheek with his free hand, rocking her back and forth a bit. "That's all, Gwen, nothing that'll hurt you. Just something to keep you from having nightmares tonight." He kissed her forehead again. "See?" he asked, his voice sweet and calming and a bit seductive. "See, Gwen? Everything's okay."

"You manipulative ass," Gwen muttered under her breath. Of course she saw right through his sweetness.

"But you love it," Jack teased, shifting her a bit on his lap.

"Yeah," she murmured, settling again in his arms. She yawned rather loudly.

"Whoa!" Jack laughed. "Someone's tired."

"I wouldn't be if you hadn't drugged me," she retorted.

"Touché, Gwen Cooper, touché, but you do need to get some sleep." He stood up, still cradling her in his arms. "Come on."

Gwen nuzzled into his shoulder, knowing that Jack had no intentions of putting her down, especially as the effects of the sedative became stronger and stronger. She felt herself falling asleep already.

Jack carried her into his office, through a locked door which he opened with his special watch, down a flight of stairs, and into a little bedroom that she realized must be where Jack slept. "Sorry there's only one bed," he said, looking down at her with a playful smile. "We'll have to share."

"Like I mind," she replied sleepily. Jack sat her down on the bed, where she took off her shoes and tossed them onto the floor. She was still in her clothes but she didn't care. All she wanted was to curl up close to Jack and sleep. Burying her head in the very soft pillow, she pulled the blankets over her and settled in the incredibly comfortable bed.

Jack, meanwhile, was changing as quickly as possible into a t-shirt and sweatpants, hoping that Gwen would see him and at the same time hoping she wouldn't. Once he was changed, he too crawled beneath the sheets and settled himself next to Gwen.

Gwen felt Jack behind her, and she couldn't help but roll over to look at him. He was, as always, an assault of sexiness on her eyes. But tonight she saw more than just his irresistible hotness. She saw something deeper in his eyes, heard it in his voice as he murmured "I love you" again, and as he pulled her closer to him, felt it as well. She settled into his arms, wishing she could stay conscious of this moment forever, but soon the drugs pulled her under and she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Jack became aware of the shift in Gwen's breathing and realized that she had succumbed to sedative-induced slumber. Usually, he didn't spend much time in his bedroom, instead wandering about the Hub all night performing tasks that he hadn't gotten to during the day. But tonight, as he looked down at Gwen, his gorgeous, perfect, incredible Gwen, her sleeping body so perfectly fitting in his arms, he realized he wanted nothing more than to spend the entire night holding her. He traced circles on her back and buried countless little kisses in her hair, telling her over and over again how much he adored her, knowing that she wouldn't stir. He felt as though his love for her had built up like pressure in a bottle of soda, and with each touch and kiss and guiltless word of affection, the cap got unscrewed just a little bit, releasing that pressure and making him feel so less burdened.

After at least half an hour of just holding her close, he realized that he too was quite tired. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him over, his dreams of having Gwen Cooper in his arms finally fulfilled.

* * *

Gwen woke up with a familiar scent in her nostrils. _Rhys_, her half-asleep mind told her. But this wasn't Rhys; there was no alcohol smell. She opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't in her bedroom, and then the scent became clear to her. She looked up a bit to see Jack, sexier than ever in the morning light, and then she remembered everything that had happened the previous night, why she had just woken up in Jack Harkness's bed, the sound of his eternally beating heart in her ears, his arms wrapped around her protectively.

Jack was only lightly asleep, so Gwen's motions immediately brought him to consciousness. He opened his eyes to see hers, a smile playing on her face. "Morning, sunshine." He sat up a bit, bringing her with him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like you don't know that," Gwen gave him a playful glare. "I _will_ get you back for that, Jack Harkness."

"That's _Captain _to you, missy," he said sternly. "For your disrespect, I'm afraid I'll have to punish you _severely_." An idea had just formed in his head.

Gwen played along. "Oh? How are you planning on punishing me, _sir_?"

He gave her his trademarked cheeky smile that just made him look so damn gorgeous. "Here at Torchwood, we go big or go home. It's torture for you, Gwen Cooper." He grabbed her and began tickling her ruthlessly.

"Jack!" she shrieked. "Jack, stop it!"

"This should teach you some respect for your superiors!" Jack tried his best to sound like a drill sergeant.

"Oh, yes... my boss is... tickling me... I have... _such _respect," Gwen managed to say through laughter.

"Watch your attitude, Cooper," Jack tried as hard as he could to maintain a straight face, but he couldn't help it. He too burst into laughter as he continued to tickle Gwen, who shrieked and squealed, trying to get out.

"Have pity! Oh, God, have pity on me, sir!" Gwen writhed in his arms. "Please have mercy!"

"No mercy for you!" Just then, Jack's comm lit up, and they heard Tosh's voice. "Um, Jack, is everything alright? What's that shrieking noise?"

"Shit!" Jack muttered, making a funny face. Gwen tried to stifle her giggles. "Yeah, Toshiko, everything's fine... Are you the only one here?"

"No, everyone's here except Gwen. Have you heard from her? She's _never_ late."

"She's with me," Jack replied, trying to hold back laughter. "Everything's fine, Tosh. We'll be there in a few minutes. Tell Ianto to start making coffee."

"Already on it," Ianto's voice came through.

"What the hell is going on, anyway?" Owen's voice came through the comm. "What are you two up to?

Jack gave a slight sigh before giving Gwen a quick peck on the cheek. "Alright, Gwen, I guess that's our cue. Time to face the day."

* * *

"What _was _that?" Tosh asked as the pair walked out of Jack's office. "Honestly, what were you two up to?" And then she noticed that they were holding hands, Gwen's head ever-so-slightly leaned into Jack's shoulder. "Aha! Oh, I _knew _it! I _knew_ that that was coming!"

"Knew what?" asked Jack.

"Owen, come see this!" Tosh shouted. "I was right!" Owen swiveled his chair around. "Right on both accounts, Owen! Jack _isn't_ regular-old-gay, and he and Gwen _are_ a thing! You owe me twenty quid."

"Hey, hold on a second." Jack let go of Gwen's hand to hold both of his hands up in the universal "Whoa, Nelly!" position. "When did I give you two authorization to make bets about my personal life?"

"Oh, give them a break, Jack," said Ianto, bringing over a tray of coffee. "I mean, it's Owen. He's a self-admitted twat, orders pizza under 'Torchwood,' and if he was stupid enough to bet twenty quid on something that had _already_ happened, then that's twenty quid out of his pocket and a good laugh for us."

"True, Ianto, very true," Jack admitted. "But I still don't exactly appreciate that those two were making bets."

"I'll give you ten of the twenty quid," Tosh interjected.

"Alright, we're good." Jack grinned and the whole team laughed, Gwen especially. Last night was awful and terrifying. But today was a new day, and a new beginning for Gwen Cooper. She thought for a moment of Rhys, of Taylor Wilson, of her old friends on the police. They were missing so much, she thought. They were missing out on the experiences, on the friendships, on the discovery of what it really was to be a human (as opposed to a weevil or something). She never wanted to go back to that mundane life of eating lasagna and watching crap television, of smelling booze and being afraid. She had a new life now. Everyone and everything she needed was here in the Hub: three incredible, clever, hilarious friends, constant adventure and newness each day, and Jack, her Jack, who loved her so very much and would always protect her, hold her, be there for her. It would be a bit weird, and a bit difficult sometimes, _but the universe is weird_, Gwen thought,_ and there are a tremendous number of things to be optimistic about_.

"Gwen? Earth to Gwen," Jack called, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Hey, you, ready to get going?" He gave her that cheeky smile that she loved so much, before grabbing her hands and pulling her across the floor towards him. "You know, I have some good news."

"What's that?" Gwen asked.

"You are going to live a good long life filled with great and terrible moments you cannot even imagine yet!" He spun her around and then dipped her like they were dancing or something.

"Indeed I will, Jack," Gwen laughed, her ponytail brushing the floor.

Jack pulled her back up, her face inches from his. He looked as though he were about to kiss her, but then pulled away and gave her a playful grin. "So let's get started."

* * *

**Hey there folks! **

**Here's the first installment in "Tales from the Hub!" ****It's dedicated to one of my best friends, Rafael, who got me into Torchwood and has just been an absolute saint this year. Ah, Rafael, it's a lonely life, being a Gwen/Jack shipper in the vast and dark sea of you Jantomaniacs (I made that word up). But I stand by my ships until the end of time. Unfortunately, after that, Steven Moffat takes over and things begin to decline. (See what I did there?!)**

**I really liked writing this one. At first, I was going to make The Other Woman (whose name had not been decided) into more of a bitch, but then I thought that perhaps she would be better as sort of a Molly Hooper character, ignorant but sweet. It wasn't until I made that decision that I decided to name her Taylor. Don't ask me why. **

**I don't like Rhys much; he pales in comparison to Mickey Smith in my opinion, and so writing Rhys as the primary Big Bad was rather fun.**

**And, since it is a Nerdfighteria holiday today (Hanko de Mayo), and it's a month before the TFiOS release, and because Pemberley Digital and PBS just announced collaboration, I did put in a few nerdfightastic references in here. If you can catch them and PM me your answers, I'll enter you into my Oneshot Sweepstakes (see my Sherlock fic, "Spark," for details)!**

**I am willing to take prompts for this one, as long as they aren't Janto, just because I really don't ship them. I respect you shippers, but I just don't ship it. I do ship Owen/Tosh, so if you want to send me ideas for that, I can do that as well!**

**Love always,**

**Kathryn-Willa**

**UPDATE 6/19 - Decided to revise this one a little. I was a bit bugged by some of the sentence structure and so forth. Kate xoxoxo**


	2. Run!

**Chapter Two: Run!**

"Jack! I found something!"

"What is it, Tosh?" Jack got up and walked over to Tosh's desk. "Oh... now _that _is interesting."

"What's going on?" Gwen swiveled her chair around and pushed herself over, Owen copying her actions. She took one look at the CCTV footage and her jaw dropped. "What the hell is _that_?!"

The thing Tosh had found was probably the weirdest creature Gwen had ever seen, in all of her time on the team. It looked like some sort of reptile, except it could walk on two legs, and it had a face that looked a bit like a Weevil, but not quite; it had hair all over it as well.

"No idea," Jack replied cheerfully. "Tosh, can you track-"

"Already on it," said Tosh. "Looks like it popped out of nowhere about three hours ago - although _we _know that it came through the Rift - and then made its way into an abandoned alleyway... okay, it's been going through the trash bins. Maybe to eat?"

"Has it been spotted?" Gwen asked.

"No sightings of anything so far," Ianto interjected. "I've been checking news reports for the past hour."

"Well, the police won't know until someone sees it. Let's see if we can catch it before everyone else gets involved." Jack grinned brightly at Gwen, and made his way for the door, grabbing his favorite jacket as he did. "Ianto, keep your eyes on those news reports and call us if we're going to be interrupted. Everyone else, let's go catch a... something-or-other."

"What're we going to call this thing?" Gwen ran to catch up with Jack.

"No clue," Jack replied, taking Gwen's hand. "A Yargle, perhaps? I mean, maybe it has a way of communicating. But if not, I think Yargle sounds about right." He winked at Gwen, pulling her just a bit closer.

"Well, we won't be able to call it anything if we don't catch it, so could you lovebirds kindly _move it_?" Owen sighed.

"Be nice, Owen," Tosh reprimanded.

"Dirty hypocrite," Jack whispered in Gwen's ear. It was no secret to Gwen and Jack that Owen had a _huge _thing for Tosh, and Tosh seemed _more_ than willing to play along. Gwen couldn't help but laugh.

"Oi!" Both Tosh and Owen scowled.

"Truth!" Gwen laughed, pulling on Jack's hand and running for the car, Jack running right behind her.

* * *

"Okay, we should be coming up on it in about thirty seconds," said Tosh, watching the CCTV monitors.

Indeed, their headlights shone on the so-called Yargle... who then took off down an alley.

"That alley's a dead end," said Gwen. "I've been down there when I was on the police. We can run after it and corner it." She made for the car door.

"Um, guys? I'm tapping the CCTV... it's not there."

"What?!"

"Let's see if I can find it... It's half a mile away!"

"What?!" Jack and Gwen both half shouted.

"Yeah... wait... _what?!_ It's moved again... it's now right by the Hub!"

"How is that possible?!" asked Owen.

"Teleport," Jack growled. "No fair." Just then, his comm lit up. "Jack, I see it out the window," Ianto's voice came through.

"Yeah, we know. Listen, it has a teleport, but the teleportation feed's likely powered by the Rift energy we take up. Go to emergency power, shut down the Rift, and maybe we can stop it from teleporting.

"Got it," Ianto replied. "But as soon as it sees it can't teleport, it'll start running."

"Well, it's a good thing we can run. Now move it!" Jack grinned. "Owen, step on it."

* * *

"I see it!" said Gwen, pointing. "Come on!" She took off after it, running as fast as she could.

Jack paused for a moment, just watching Gwen run. God, he loved her.

"Will you please stop daydreaming about Gwen until we catch your Yargle?" Owen called.

Jack sighed. _I'd trade a thousand Yargles for Gwen_, he thought, and then he ran to follow Owen.

"I lost it," Gwen said sadly as they approached. "I don't know where it is."

"It's okay," Jack replied, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It can't teleport, so we'll find it eventually."

Just then, the comm lit up again. "It's been seen," said Ianto. "You should be getting police information in a few seconds."

"Got it," Tosh replied. "Let's go."

* * *

"Torchwood," Jack called as he shoved past a police officer, Gwen just behind him. They found the Yargle, and Jack addressed it. "Alright! We aren't going to hurt you, just come with us, okay?"

"Shlargic krajni ekkadreas roikharn," said the Yargle... or at least that's what it sounded like. And then it took off running.

"Crap!" Jack yelled.

"No time for crap, Jack!" Gwen laughed, running past him. "Run!"

* * *

**Hey everyone! I posted that before I was supposed to. Here's the correct version. Yay!**

**I have to apologize for the earlier description I gave for this one. If you are a Janto shipper but you are willing to read this despite it not being a Janto fic, I of course appreciate your flexibility and would love your feedback! Thank you to guest Sandysan for calling me on this one!**

**Love always,**

**KW**


	3. Christmas Party

**Chapter Three: The Christmas Party**

_AN: This'll have some Gwen/Jack in it as usual, but it'll also have Owen/Tosh as well. Also, assume Christmas Eve is on a Saturday._

"Jack?" Gwen walked over to Jack's desk and placed both hands on it, leaning over her hands slightly, one foot slightly kicked up in the air.

"Yeah?" Jack looked Gwen over. _Taking your usual manipulative stance, Gwen Cooper..._

"We should have a Christmas party or something." Gwen grinned. "Please?"

"I second this," Ianto interjected.

"Yeah! Christmas party!" Owen pushed his swivel chair over to the desk. "We _never_ get to have fun around here."

"Agreed," Tosh added. "Come on, Jack, we should."

Gwen smirked triumphantly. She loved it when the team was on her side against Jack. His little pouts were just so bloody adorable... and he was just about to pout, in three... two... one... _yes_! Predicted!

"Okay. Fine. We will have a Christmas party."

"Yeah!" Gwen grinned broadly. "Oh, this'll be _fun_."

Jack sighed again. His team. He was such a sucker for them, honestly. Especially Gwen. "I suppose it will be fun."

"I'll decorate this place," Ianto grinned. "It'll look fantastic come Saturday."

"And, Jack? No running off to do something during the party," Gwen begged. "Just one night off, please?"

"But what if something happens? We have to be ready! And there's a weird trend that happens, stuff happens on Christmas in London, and we're... oh, _fine_." For Gwen had just pouted _yet again_ and he couldn't resist saying yes. "Okay, everyone, I'd say let's wrap it up for the night. It's getting late."

Ianto, Owen, and Tosh all waved goodbye and headed out the door. Gwen was still staying in the Hub (she claimed it was temporary but _everyone _knew better).

"Oh, God, Gwen, what have I allowed you to do?" Jack muttered.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" Gwen bounced around like a little child. "This'll be the best Christmas ever!"

See that little pile of stuff rapidly disintegrating into nothing? That would be Jack's last shreds of resolve.

* * *

Jack walked into the Hub Saturday night and basically didn't recognize the place. It basically screamed Christmas. He was pretty sure he heard a Weevil singing carols from the vault.

Okay, maybe not. But he certainly felt like singing carols, and if the Weevils didn't, well... they were Scrooges.

"Whoa! Ianto, you went all-out!" Jack turned around to see Gwen, Owen, and Tosh all admiring the Christmas decorations everywhere. "Come on, Jack!" Gwen grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the group.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Jack sighed, only feigning irritation.

"Yeah, nice try," Gwen laughed. "Fake irritation. Please."

Jack paused for a minute. And then...

"PARTY!"

* * *

Ianto was practically going insane. Gwen and Jack were clearly aware of their relationship. But Owen and Tosh? Talk about blind as a bat. It took all of Ianto's usual calmness to not force them on each other and say "YOU ARE CLEARLY INTO EACH OTHER SO WHY ARE YOU NOT ACKNOWLEDGING IT?!"

And then he had an idea. A cruel idea, that would royally piss Owen and Tosh off.

But it was a pretty brilliant idea.

After all, it was Christmas, wasn't it?

Careful not to alert the other four to what was going on, he slipped away to make some phone calls.

* * *

"Where did Ianto go?" Jack asked a few hours (and drinks) into the party.

Gwen looked around. "Haven't a clue," she laughed. "But who cares?"

Ianto had to stop himself from laughing. He was, as a matter of fact, on the upper floor, but he knew that the others wouldn't notice him. And what was he doing up there, you ask? Patience, people. You'll see. He had to wait until Owen and Tosh were next to each other..._  
_

"Yeah," Tosh noted. "He hasn't been here for awhile..."

Owen nodded, looking around.

"Look up," Ianto called. All four of them jumped, and looked up...

... to see a whole bag full of mistletoe, dumped directly on their heads. They were literally covered in the stuff.

"What the hell?" Owen asked.

"You know the rules!" Ianto laughed. "Go on, you know you want to..."

"What?"

"You are under a very large amount of mistletoe, you twat."

"Oh..." Owen could've had a light bulb over his head.

"Yeahhhhh..." Ianto laughed. "Now go on."

Owen and Tosh shared a very long, awkward look. Ianto watched them, knowing that they were going to... in three... two... one...

A burst of cheers rang out through the Hub.

"Mission accomplished," Ianto chuckled. "And... now I have to clean up all this mistletoe."

* * *

**Hey everyone! Another silly chapter for y'alls. Hope you liked!**

**Kate**


	4. Flashback

**Chapter Four: Flashback**

_AN: This one is pretty much all Gwen/Jack, and also, it references chapter one._

Gwen had been having a normal day. Everything was going fine, really. She had helped Tosh with testing a phototracker (a tracking device using photographs that was more reliable than CCTV) by chasing Weevils all over Cardiff with Jack.

And then she went to go get the Chinese takeout (Jack had insisted on a strict no-delivery rule after he realized Owen was ordering food under "Torchwood")... and guess who just _had _to be there, eating in with... some other girl?

"Rhys," she murmured inaudibly, as soon as she saw him. Her heart nearly stopped. _Breathe, Gwen... just a few minutes..._

She got the takeout, walked as calmly out the door as she could, and then took off down the street back to the Hub, tears starting to fall.

* * *

"Oh, good, I'm starving," Owen said as he took the box from Gwen's hands. "Wait... is something wrong?"

Gwen's hands shook a bit, trying hard not to cry. And then suddenly she wasn't in the Hub... she was back at her old home... and there he was, right in front of her, screaming. She began taking slow steps to the wall, knowing somehow what was about to come and trying to be ready for it...

"Gwen? Gwen, what the hell is going on?" Owen shook her shoulders. "Gwen!"

Gwen winced, remembering that pressure, that force, being thrown against the wall, and suddenly she could smell that awful alcohol smell, and it terrified her. "No!" she whispered and shouted at the same time.

Jack had been in the bathroom, but when he came out he saw what was going on and instantly figured it out. _Flashback_.

"Owen, move!" he called. Owen took the food and headed for the table, while Jack went over to Gwen.

"Gwen," he murmured. "Gwen, it's not real. You're just having a flashback." He took Gwen's hands in his and pulled her in close. "Come on." He led her to the couch and helped her sit down, her body still shaking as she was still in the flashback. "Gwen... Gwen... Gwen..." he repeated her name over and over, trying to bring her back to reality. "Gwen, come back to me... please just come back to me, Gwen..." And then he had an idea. He gently laid Gwen on the couch, kissed her forehead, and went to the hook where he kept his coat.

* * *

_Gwen... Gwen... Gwen, come back to me... _Gwen heard the words from somewhere far away, and yet so close... And oh, she recognized that voice. _Jack_, she tried to call out. And just as she did, she felt something on top of her, something so familiar and so warm and incredible... His coat! Oh, she wasn't with Rhys! She was home... home... home... home... _home_!_  
_

Her eyes flew open and there he was, pulling her close, his coat all around her. "Gwen," he whispered, just for her... "Gwen, shhh... it's okay now, I've got you..."_  
_

"Jack," she sobbed, throwing her arms around him.

"Shhhh, Gwen," he cooed, stroking her hair. "Shhh, shhh, shhhhh, it's okay..." He kissed her forehead tenderly, again, again, and with each one she relaxed a bit more into his arms, letting him soothe her the way only he ever could. "Come on. Let's eat, and then we can talk this through. Okay?"

Gwen nodded, letting him help her up, an arm around her shaking shoulder the whole way to the table, where the team had very thoughtfully filled a plate of food for each of them.

"Gwen? Are you okay?" Tosh looked at her with curiosity and concern.

Jack shook his head imperceptibly, and Tosh caught on. Thank God for good teammates.

* * *

Dinner was actually very pleasant. The whole team chattered about the success of Tosh's phototracker, which was able to track Gwen and Jack all over Cardiff, catching Weevils... and doing other things that made Ianto the Master Matchmaker quite happy. (Seriously, that guy was a male Emma Woodhouse).

But all through that rather fun dinner, Gwen still smelled hints of that alcohol, still felt that ghost pressure on her shoulders, the wall behind her back, and it caused her hands to shake.

Jack knew Gwen was frightened, and it hurt him. Seeing Gwen, _his _Gwen, in that much pain, broke his never-gonna-stop-beating heart. He touched her hand under the table, gently stroking it in little circles, trying to soothe her, but still knowing that it wouldn't help that much.

But he'd always try, for his Gwen. Always.

* * *

**Hey y'alls! A bit angsty, but yeah. I like matchmaker!Ianto honestly :D**

**Love,**

**Kate**


	5. Fun

**Chapter Five: Fun**

A strange phenomenon had fallen over the Hub, one that Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, and Ianto were completely baffled by.

They were bored.

There was nothing to do. No Weevils to catch, no threats to stop, and they were _bored_.

* * *

"Okay, we need to stop this," Gwen announced after at least an hour and a half of sheer dullness. "I am bored out of my mind and so is everyone else. We need to just go and do something before we all start going insane.

"Hear, hear!" Owen said. "Let's, I dunno, go do something stupid. Bowling or something."

"I'm game," Tosh replied. "No pun intended."

"Yeah, sure." Ianto walked over. "I mean... bowling in a suit... you don't get to do that every day."

"Jack?" Gwen asked. "Can we?"

Jack had been daydreaming about Gwen for the seventh time that day. "Oh... we're going bowling? Yeah... okay..."

Gwen laughed. "Come on!" She grabbed his hands and pulled him up from his chair.

Jack grinned at Gwen's bright face. He loved it when she smiled. Or did anything else, for that matter.

"Oi, Earth to Jack, stop daydreaming for a few seconds," Gwen teased.

"Right," Jack muttered, still half-dreaming.

* * *

"Alright, Tosh, you're buying drinks," Jack said, putting on his normal shoes again.

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"That was the deal," Ianto explained, as though to a two-year-old. "Loser buys drinks."

"I'm not two!" Tosh exclaimed. "Okay. Fine. I will buy one round of drinks."

"Come on!" Owen moaned, giving Tosh a manipulative pout.

"Nice try, Harper," Tosh laughed. "Not gonna get me... okay _fine_! I hate all of you!"_  
_

"No you don't!" the whole team laughed.

Jack looked over at Gwen, who was laughing at the whole drinks exchange, and beckoned her over. He'd gone over twenty minutes without giving her a kiss and it was absolutely unacceptable.

"You've broken your record," Gwen teased, knowing what he wanted and allowing him to have his kiss.

"I love you," Jack murmured. "My Gwen."

"Jack," Gwen whispered back, kissing him again.

Tosh and Owen and Ianto all rolled their eyes. "On three, 'oi, lovebirds,'" Owen whispered. "One... two... three!"

"OI! LOVEBIRDS!" all three of them shouted.

"Oi! Hypocrite!" Gwen playfully retorted, knowing full well who came up with this idea, and then she pulled Jack along to go take advantage of Tosh's bowling skills - or rather, her lack thereof.

_This is nice_, Jack thought. _Just me and my team, having fun together_.

* * *

**Hey everyone! A fun fluffy chapter. I'm going to try to mix in more fluff and fun and less angst for y'alls.**

**Love,**

**Kate**


	6. Nightmares

**Chapter Six: Nightmares**

Some nights, Gwen has nightmares.

Sometimes, they're flashbacks of a particularly terrifying moment in her life, a particularly violent Weevil or something.

On those nights, she wakes breathless, but can usually roll over and fall asleep.

Tonight is not one of those normal nightmarish nights. Tonight is a thousand times worse than any Weevil.

_He jumps in front of her to protect her… and doesn't move again… five minutes pass, and ten, and nothing..._

"NO!" she shouts, sitting up in bed, heart racing and tears in her eyes.

"Gwen?" Jack asks sleepily. "Gwen, what happened?" He sits up, and, noticing the tears in her eyes, wraps an arm comfortingly around her shoulders.

"Jack," she sobs, throwing her arms around him. "Jack, you were dead… and you didn't… you didn't…" She buries her head in his shoulder.

"Shhh," he coos in her ear. "Shhh, Gwen… it's okay, I'm here, not going anywhere." His heart breaks, seeing her, his sweet Gwen, sobbing in his arms for his own sake. "I've got you," he says, trying as hard as he can to keep his voice straight. "Shhh, I've got you. Don't cry, Gwen, don't cry, shh…." He places a tender kiss in her hair, trying to soothe her, but still she weeps.

"Jack," she whispers, over and over, breathless, terrified. She can't think straight. All she can see is Jack's body, cold and still on the ground.

But soon, she quiets, her breath again normal. She relaxes in Jack's arms, weeping softly but much calmer.

"I'm here," Jack coos. "Shh, Gwen, I'm here." He strokes her hair, kissing her forehead and rubbing her back.

She falls asleep in his arms, and he doesn't move, holding her through the night, chasing the nightmares away.

* * *

Some nights, Jack has nightmares.

The only one he ever has is of Gwen, in the clutches of a Weevil, struggling to get free, and he is unable to move. He never tosses and turns, but his heart races and his hands shake in his sleep.

He wakes with a gasp, similar to when he wakes from dying.

"Gwen," he always whispers, and he rolls over to check to make sure she's there.

"Jack?" she always asks, rolling over slightly.

"Shhh," he whispers. "Just had a nightmare, Gwen. Go back to sleep."

"The same one?" she asks.

"Yeah…" And Gwen always rolls over fully and curls into him, letting him wrap his arms around her, and he holds her all night, chasing the nightmares away.

* * *

Gwen and Jack. Chasing the nightmares away, together.


	7. Morning

**Chapter Seven: Morning**

_AN: Major, major Gwen/Jack fluff (I call it Harcooper)_

Jack's eyes slowly opened with the bright sunlight. "You could be a bit gentler," he told the sun, and he swore he felt it grow brighter to mock him. "I mean, I have a source of brightness outside of you." He turned his head to see Gwen, sleeping peacefully with her back to him, and indeed, he swore he could see her glowing. She was just so beautiful. He couldn't help but kiss the back of her head, breathing in the sweetness of her hair.

Gwen felt herself leaving her dreamless sleep as something touched her head. Jack, probably, giving her a bit of affection. She turned her head a bit to see his grinning face. Groaning, she flopped back on her pillow and fell asleep again.

Jack chuckled quietly. This was basically every morning. Time to start phase two. He carefully pulled the comforter away and walked his fingers over her arm, playing with the tendrils of dark hair when he reached her ears. "Gwen," he whispered. "Gwen, wake up."

Gwen half wanted to slap Jack right now. She _hated_ when he did this, but she also loved his affection towards her. She took her pillow and buried into it, pulling the covers over her head.

Jack grinned broadly. "Oh, nice try," he giggled softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "Gotcha," he whispered playfully.

Finally, Gwen gave in. "Oh, alright, fine, I'm up," she muttered. She rolled over to curl into Jack's arms. "Better?" she asked, looking into his bright eyes.

Her gorgeous green eyes cause Jack's eternally beating heart to race. "Oh, _so_ much better," he smiled, kissing her forehead to punctuate his words. "Everything's made better with those eyes open." He cuddled her closer.

Gwen nuzzled into his embrace and realized she was rather glad he had woken her. She loved being conscious of those little sweet moments between them, those tender kisses and warm hugs that made her feel so special, so loved and protected. She had never had this before, this undying love from one person whom she loved right back, this loyalty and devotion to her that she was more than happy to return. She was pretty sure Jack would give his life for her, if that was possible.

"I love you," she whispered into his chest.

"I love you too." Jack rubbed her back in little circles, stroking her hair with his other hand. He did this to soothe her when she was upset, but when she wasn't it was even better, an expression of love that served no purpose but to show affection for her. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I always will, Gwen. Always. Until I die, and _that_ won't happen anytime soon… or, ever."

Gwen chuckled a bit. Jack made that joke far too often. Far too often. But it was a good joke, anyway. She happened to like the joke. It comforted her, reminded her that he wouldn't leave her. But at the same time, it hurt just a bit, remembering that one day she would die alone and never see Jack again. Would he forget her, someday?

"What's wrong?" Jack asked. He looked down at Gwen, deep in concentration. "Gwen, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing, nothing," she muttered. "Just thinking, that's all."

"Relax," he said softly, tilting her chin up so she could look into his eyes. "It's going to be okay… whatever it is. So don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll help you through it, okay?"

Gwen loved that Jack never pried further. She snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Okay," she murmured into his chest. And they stayed there, quietly cuddled together, until the clock struck eight and it was time to face the day.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Another chapter full of fluff! Thank you to interwebz buddies Rachel and Kizzy for their support!**

**Love,**

**Liakate**

**UPDATE: Edited for a major grammatical error. Also, quick poll: Doing a sick day chapter next, should Gwen or Jack get sick? PM me with your answer! LK xoxoxo**


	8. Sick, part one

**Chapter Eight: Sick (part one)**

_AN: This one will come in a few parts. Here's part one!_

"Jack? Jack, wake up." Gwen shook his shoulder very gently. "Jack…" And then she realized how very sweaty his shirt was.

Jack felt like crap. Absolute total 100% _crap_. His inside was broiling but his skin was freezing. He felt as though something was compressing his head both from the inside and from the outside, his throat was on fire, and his stomach was turning circles, just moments away from turning inside out. And waking up was the last thing he felt like doing.

"Gwen…" He cringed at how completely awful his voice sounded.

He felt her hand brush his cheek. "Shhh," she murmured. "Just relax." His covers came off of him and he instantly felt freezing. He tried to reach to get them back but her hand stopped him. "Sorry, Jack," she said, tracing circles on his wrist. "You've got a fever."

"Yeah, I figured," he muttered. "But whatever." He tried to sit up, but Gwen pushed him back down.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

"Getting up…"

Gwen shook her head. "No way. You need to rest." She pulled one thin blanket from the mass of covers and draped it over Jack's shivering body. "There, now you won't be complaining that you're cold."

"But Gwen," Jack whined. "I'm still cold." He gave her a very manipulative pout.

"Ah-ah, that's not going to work on me this time, Jack. You can't have any more blankets. That's that. So you can just stop that little cute face _right now_."

"Awwww," Jack sighed.

"I'm no sucker, Jack," Gwen grinned. "Unlike _someone_ I know…" She gave him a playful little nudge.

"Hey!" Jack laughed. "I'm not a sucker at all."

"I'll remind you of our Christmas party…" Gwen half-sang.

"That was you and the rest of the team. It doesn't count," Jack said defensively, trying desperately to prove an absolute lie.

Gwen leaned in and kissed him gently. As she pulled away, she whispered, "Liar."

"Fiiiiiiiiiine," Jack whined. "I'm a total sucker for you. Happy?"

"Yes," Gwen said with a very cheeky grin. "Now. I need to get ready for the day. I'll come check on you later, alright?"

"Gwen," Jack moaned. "Why aren't you going to stay with me?"

"Because you are perfectly capable of lying in bed all day, and don't you _dare _try to pout your way into getting me to stay. I have things to do."

"But Gwen, I want you to stay." He looked truly and genuinely sad, the illness so clear in his eyes.

Gwen felt her heart melt a tiny bit. She loved him so much and didn't really want to leave him alone. What if he actually was sicker than she thought? She felt his forehead again with the back of her hand and noticed that he really was quite warm. She couldn't tell exactly how bad his fever was, but he had a pretty high fever. Perhaps she should stay with him…

Jack felt as though he were dying. Even though he knew he couldn't actually die, he felt as though he were barely clinging to life. "Gwen, please," he choked out, feeling tears in his eyes. He didn't want to be alone. Honestly, he was scared of how ill he was. He hadn't been this weak before, and he wanted nothing more than for Gwen to just stay with him.

Gwen looked down at Jack and saw that he was actually crying. Her strong, stable Jack, now crying. It shocked her a bit, seeing him like this, but it was enough to sway her. "Shhh, don't cry," she soothed. "I'll stay. Don't worry, okay? I'm here."

Jack instantly felt better. He wiped the tears from his eyes and relaxed. What would he do without his sweet Gwen? Always there for him, caring about him until the end… he'd be so, so miserable without her.

Gwen perched on his end of the bed, right next to him, and began to run her fingers through his hair. Her voice took on the sweetest of tones as she murmured in that damn Welsh accent that always caused his spine to tingle.

"Try to sleep," Gwen said softly, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. "It'll help." He looked up into her eyes, full of concern and care, and he somehow knew that everything would be okay, as long as his Gwen was there for him.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Chapter eight is here! Chapter nine is being uploaded with this one, so y'alls get a double dose today! And chapter ten should come pretty quickly as well as it's a part three.**


	9. Sick, part two

**Chapter Nine: Sick (part two)**

Just then, Gwen's comm lit up and Owen's voice crackled through. "Oi! Lovebirds!"

"Oi, hypocrite," Gwen replied without missing a beat.

"Yeah, yeah, hypocrite, whatever. What're you two… up to?" Owen's voice held a teensy little glimmer of hope, and Gwen knew _exactly _where he was going.

"The captain of the _innuendo squad_ has come down with the flu and I'm staying because God only knows what sort of trouble he could get into, alone and ill." Gwen tried hard not to laugh, but had to giggle a bit.

"Innuendo squad? What are you talking about, Gwen? Since when were _we_ an _innuendo_ squad?" Tosh interjected, sarcasm palpable. Tosh and Gwen were both only too aware of the boys' very dirty minds.

"Owen, when you're quite done making fun of Gwen and Jack, will you kindly prove your complete and utter hypocrisy by making googly eyes at Tosh? I need some entertainment." Ianto, unlike Gwen, was able to keep a stoic tone… for about twenty seconds, and then everyone but Owen burst out laughing.

"_I do not make googly eyes at Tosh, ever!"_ Owen retorted.

"Owen, if I had one pound for every time I've caught you googly eyes at me, I'd be a billionaire overnight," Tosh replied. "Actually, I'd probably be a billionaire overnight if I got a pound for every ten times." This got laughs.

"Tosh, Ianto, I have to thank you for keeping Jack's spirits up," Gwen chuckled. "Could you continue making fun of Owen's bloody gigantic crush on Tosh for the next, like, three hours?"

As Owen was about to say "Please, don't," Ianto said, "Well, we need Jack back, so I think we have to do whatever it takes to make him better. I'm on it, Gwen."

Tosh laughed. "I've modified our comms so they can work on autoplay without our having to hold down the buttons. Ianto and I will do that so you two can watch the action. And Jack, if you activate the hologram on your watch on my mark, you can _watch _the whole thing! Ready… one, two, three, _now_!"

Jack pushed a button on his watch and immediately got a hologram of the Hub and the rest of the team, Tosh and Ianto laughing, Owen glaring murderously.

"I _hate _you, Tosh," Owen moaned. The following eye-roll was simultaneous.

"I believe I speak for the critical mass when I say: Oh, please," Ianto replied. "I'll remind you of a certain Christmas party…"

Owen's face turned beetred. "That was your fault, Ianto!"

Jack sighed, and when he spoke, his voice was weak enough to make Gwen's heart melt again. "You three, just because Gwen and I are out of commission doesn't mean you guys can just… fool around all day-"

"-Again with the innuendo squad," muttered Gwen, just as Tosh said basically the same thing. The two girls burst out laughing.

"Anyway," said Jack, his voice still so tired, "you three have stuff to do. I'm going to shut off the hologram thing because, as much as I _love _watching this, Gwen's probably about to tell me to go to sleep. Bye, guys!" He pushed a button on his watch and the image vanished.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Part two! And ten points to anyone who can tell me where innuendo squad comes from...**


	10. Sick, part three

**Chapter Ten: Sick, part three**

After the image vanished, Jack had an idea. "I'm going to turn off my comm, too…"

"Good thinking," Gwen replied. She returned immediately to that state of sweet gentleness, keeping Jack's hair from his face.

Without the team around and listening, Jack allowed himself to let down the mask of strength. He felt so weak and he only felt safe revealing it to Gwen. Tears began to build in his eyes again as he allowed himself to feel the terrible burning pain that wracked his entire person.

"Jack, what is it?" Gwen's eyes clouded with concern.

"It hurts, Gwen, oh, God, it hurts," he whispered, scared of his own weakness.

"Where? Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere-I-feel like-I'm-on fire-" Jack could barely get the words out with the horrific pain coursing through every inch of his body.

"Shhhh, don't talk," Gwen murmured. "Stay here. I'm going to the medicine cabinet, okay? I'll be right back, I promise." She brushed a bit of sweaty hair from his face and left the room.

"Gwen-" he tried to say, not wanting her to leave even for this, but she was already gone.

* * *

Gwen went into the medicine cabinet and, amongst the insanely huge amounts of God-knows-what, found some Tylenol. She ran back to the bedroom to see Jack, in the midst of some sort of nightmare, as he was tossing and turning in his sleep and muttering. She tried to make out his words. And soon they became clear. Just two words: "no" and her name.

"Jack, wake up," Gwen called, shaking his shoulder.

Jack woke with a start. "Gwen!" he practically shouted.

"Shhh," she cooed. "Shhh, Jack, I'm here. Just a nightmare."

"The - the same - same one - like - like I - like I - always have - but so - much - so much - so much worse," he stammered. And Gwen knew exactly what he meant: the nightmare of her, in the clutches of a weevil, unable to escape, his feet glued to the ground.

"Shhhh," she repeated. "It's okay now. I'm here." She sat down again next to Jack and began stroking his hair softly. "Here, I got you Tylenol. Take it. It'll help."

Jack reached out to take the pills in Gwen's hand. "Thanks," he muttered. "Oh, God, Gwen, it hurts so much…"

"Sleep," Gwen said gently, still running fingers through his hair. "Go back to sleep."

"But… the nightmares…" Jack protested.

"You're such a baby," Gwen teased, but her eyes were still full of that concern and care that told Jack that she didn't mean it. She somehow managed to understand the awful pain and fear that tore through him without feeling it and he loved that about her, her ability to care.

It was Gwen's turn to put up a front, as a matter of fact. The fact that Jack was in this state frightened her a bit. She was so used to his undying strength, his independence, his ability to take on out-of-this-world challenges, and now a small case of the flu or something had reduced him to this state of weakness and total dependence on her. He had never _needed _her this much before, and while it flattered Gwen that he did need her this much, it also scared her.

"Gwen… I'm… I'm scared… to go to sleep…" Jack's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She met his eyes, and the pain, the fear, the weakness, while no longer a complete shock, broke her heart. A rush of affection soared through her body.

"I'm here," Gwen replied gently, a hand resting against his fever-flushed cheek. "I won't leave you, Jack, I promise." And she meant it. She wouldn't, _couldn't_ leave her poor Jack like this. "Just try to sleep, Jack. Just try." She brushed another bit of sweaty hair from his face. "Go on… close your eyes," she murmured.

Jack couldn't help but close his eyes. Her voice was just so incredibly soothing, or maybe it was her hand on his cheek, or maybe… maybe… maybe…

In an instant he was sound asleep again. Gwen couldn't help but laugh at this. Her Jack, she thought. Even when ill, he was her very stubborn Jack. And they'd get through this little sickness together, no questions asked.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I just want to give a shout-out to Rachel, Kizzy, and Seraphina, my three biggest TFTH supporters. So thankful for you three! Everyone, checkout the profiles of everyone who reviews my work! There is so much awesome there!**

**Who noticed the little puns in this chapter?**

**Kate xx**


	11. The Best Prank EVER

**Chapter Eleven: The Best Prank Ever**

_AN: JSYK, this takes place in 2009. which is impt as it crosses into the Cassieverse soon (see my DW fic "Cassie"). Also note that this story will in general not fit with TW canon all that much. This one is going to be major Owen/Tosh. Also will feature our favorite matchmaker!Ianto. Enjoy!_

Ianto was frankly at the end of his matchmaking rope. Gwen and Jack? Fine. Perfect, actually. That bout of the flu Jack had had a week ago was possibly the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

But Owen Harper was another story. He refused to admit his feelings for Tosh, even though everyone - Tosh herself included - knew he had a crush the size of the sun. More than just a crush, really. The feelings were totally reciprocated. And Ianto, that clever matchmaker, had no idea what to do. The mistletoe had gotten one kiss. One. One little kiss. And that was _ages _ago. Months. Even Valentine's Day didn't get anyone anywhere. And now it was March 31st.

Wait… March 31st. The day before April Fool's Day.

Oh, this would be _good_.

* * *

April Fool's was a favorite at the Hub. With tons of alien stuff at their disposal, the team had the capabilities for epic pranks. But Ianto had only one prank on his mind: the one that would crack Owen Harper. And Gwen and Jack were helping him.

The best prank in the history of _ever_ was just about to begin. Jack had managed to replace Owen and Tosh's ID cards with fake ones, and they had gotten them to go into the vault alone (Jack had unlocked it this time). Now it was up to Ianto to… mess with them a bit. Jack had given Ianto a little screen that would connect to the camera feed in the vault so everyone could watch the action.

He went down into the basement and began playing with the lights in the Vault. The Weevils happened to be very particular about lighting, and this was bound to get them a bit agitated. Now all he and the rest of the team had to do was act scared.

"Jack?" Tosh's voice came through the comm. "Jack, the lights are flickering down here. What's going on?"

"I'm checking on it, but I can't seem to see what's going on," Ianto replied, trying to sound as though he were as perplexed as Tosh.

"Well… the Weevils are getting a bit agitated." Tosh seemed a bit nervous. _So far, so good_, Ianto thought.

"Tosh, put your comm on autoplay, so I can hear what's going on. I might be able to figure out what the problem is."

"Ianto, fix it quickly," Owen interjected. "This is freaking us both out."

"I'm on it, Owen, cool your jets. Can't you get out anyway?"

"Oh yeah…" Owen had an epiphany, apparently.

"Twat," Gwen chuckled.

A few seconds later: "Um, guys? We can't get out." Owen seemed a bit uneasy.

Tosh, on the other hand, was becoming legitimately scared. "We're locked in!" she cried. "Oh my God, get us out of here!"

"Working on it," Jack said. "There's some sort of power fluctuation going on. I can't seem to get control over the door to let you out. Something must be going on with the Rift. He muted his comm and burst out laughing. "Watch this," he mouthed to Gwen, and then he pushed a button on the computer.

"Wait, something's happening. The door! It's opening!" Owen tried to jiggle the doorknob. "What?! It just was…"

"I said, the power's going all-" Jack was cut off by a Weevil making a horrifying sound, apparently not liking the lights flickering. Soon a chorus of Weevils began screaming and moaning.

Tosh was freaking out at this point. She made a tiny little whimpering sound and sat down on the floor, covering her ears and burying her head in her knees, trying to block out the Weevils and the lights. It was out of character for her, but she had never been this terrified in her life.

Owen looked down at Tosh, shaking on the ground, and immediately sat down next to her. "Tosh, it's going to be okay. We'll get out of here, I promise." He wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulder. "It's okay," he said softly. He wrapped the other arm around her, cradling her head against his chest and rocking her back and forth. Gwen grinned at the similarity between them and her and Jack when she was scared or upset.

"I'm scared," Tosh whispered, just loud enough for the rest of the team to hear. "Owen, I've never been this scared before."

Owen felt his heart break. He really was in love with Tosh and couldn't bear seeing her this upset. "I've got you," he murmured soothingly. "It's okay, Tosh, I'm here." Just then another earsplitting Weevil scream rang through the room. Tosh squealed and buried her head in Owen's shoulder. He felt tears on his shirt, Tosh's tears, and he couldn't help but let his guard down. Trying to calm her, he began gently stroking her hair and held her even closer.

Tosh was a bit stunned by Owen's sudden affection, but it did help. She felt safer, protected, in his embrace. She relaxed a bit in his arms, trying to just block out the situation and focus on him.

"That's it," Owen cooed, noticing that Tosh was calming down. "There you go, Tosh, just relax. We'll get through this, I promise." But she was still quietly weeping into his shoulder, still so terrified of being trapped with agitated Weevils, and it was enough to break his stubborn will. "Tosh, I'm not going to let you get hurt," he said firmly. And then he whispered something in her ear that the team couldn't catch. But they could guess what it was, as she looked up at him in shock, just in time for him to brush a thumb across her cheek and pull her in for a kiss.

Cheers broke out from the main room and from the basement. Ianto stopped playing with the lights and Jack unlocked the door.

"FINALLY!" Ianto said through the comm. "Oh, dear God, I was worried I'd have to give poor Tosh nightmares.

"Oh, you bastards!" Owen shouted. "You staged that whole thing?" Tosh had wiped away her tears and was now weakly laughing.

"Best April Fool's prank _ever_," Jack laughed. "Oh, Ianto, that was freaking brilliant."

"I bloody hate you three," Owen muttered. "Come on, Tosh, let's get out of here." He held out a hand to help her up, and held that hand tightly all the way back to the central room of the Hub. "I do love you, though," he muttered in her ear, and she kissed him again with a fiery passion.

"Finally," Ianto said again, this time to himself. And the master matchmaker was finally at peace.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Finally, Tosh and Owen are together! #TookLongEnough!**

**Love,**

**Kate**


	12. Hallucinations

**Chapter Twelve: Hallucinations**

_AN: This happens on April 7th, the day after the TARDIS lands in the Hub (Chapter 12 of Cassie). For more info on the timeline, see chapter 12 of Cassie._

"Owen, whatcha got there?" Tosh went over to see the liquid Owen had in a beaker.

"Not sure," said Owen. "At least, not completely sure. It's not poisonous, but it has some weird effects on the lab rats. They seem to be hallucinating, or something, but I can't quite tell."

"Any idea what effect it has on humans?" Ianto came over to look at the stuff.

"None whatsoever. Why, do you want to test it?"

"Owen, I know that you were kidding, but frankly it's not a bad idea." Jack too walked over to see what was going on. "We should test it, actually. It could be something really helpful."

"Are you suggesting that we put some mystery thing into our bodies?!" Gwen looked legitimately scared.

"You heard me," he said with a grin. "But it'll be safe. We'll go down into a totally empty room, totally safe. Lab conditions."

"Okay, I'm not doing it," said Gwen. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Well, someone has to. We'll pick two names, and those are the lab rats." Jack seemed far too excited about this, but the rest of the team decided to just go along with it. Jack went up to the computer and pulled up a random name generator, entering each person's name when the website loaded. "Okay, first lab rat is…" He pressed the button, and Tosh's name popped up. "Tosh! You're in!" He gave his trademarked super-bright cheeky grin.

"Damn it!" Tosh exclaimed. "Fine. I suppose it was a fair draw."

"Okay, next name…" Jack clicked the button again.

"Crap," Gwen muttered, for it was her name that appeared on the screen. "Fine. Jack, you owe us both big-time."

"I'll make it up to you," Jack said, pulling Gwen close. "I promise, Gwen, I will make it up to you, and more importantly, I'm not about to let you get hurt." He kissed the top of her head, and for the first time in Torchwood Three history, Owen didn't say anything. Probably because he was too busy worrying about what was about to happen to Tosh.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" Ianto was rather happy about this. He knew full well that after the whole thing was over, there would likely be a whole lot of cuteness that would make the Master Matchmaker quite happy.

* * *

"Okay, let's not give either of you any sort of strong dose. I only gave five milliliters to the monkeys, and it had an effect, so let's go with that." Owen gave each of the girls a little cup with the liquid in it. "I'm going to keep a timer of this so we can see how quickly it has effects. I'll count you in to take it. Ten seconds." Gwen and Tosh grabbed hands, nervous of what was to come. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, take it." Owen pressed the button on the timer as the girls downed the drink.

In an instant, Gwen felt insanely dizzy. The world literally seemed to spin around her. She felt her knees go weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes closing.

"Gwen!" Jack ran to her, feeling for a pulse. "Phew." He backed away, wanting to observe her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw the most terrifying scene in front of her. Hundreds, thousands maybe, of Weevils were standing around her, breathing on her, reaching for her, those terrifying faces staring at her. And she was alone. Usually she'd be surrounded by her team, but they weren't there. She tried to move, but she was paralyzed. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for the inevitable. _Goodbye, Jack, _she thought. _I love you_…

But nothing happened. They didn't come lunging at her the way she thought they would. She opened her eyes and her heart stopped.

The Weevils were gone - but were replaced by far worse.

"_Get the hell away from me!_" she shrieked. She tried to get up and run, but still she was paralyzed.

Jack wasn't, though, and he ran for her, knowing _exactly_ what she was seeing. Only one thing could upset her like this, get her to say those words.

"Jack!" He looked over to see Owen, who was trying to soothe Tosh. "I can't snap her out of it! We have to just wait for it to wear off!" He walked over towards his timer. "It shouldn't take too long. The effects wore off in the monkeys after about ten minutes, and it's been six so far."

"So those two-" Jack pointed at the two girls, terrified on the ground "-are going to be scared shitless for the next four minutes? Owen, what were we _thinking_?!" He sat down and buried his head in his hands. His Gwen was reliving her worst memory because of his dumb idea.

"Just leave me alone," she whispered. "Please, can't you just leave me alone?" The invisible terror in front of her was apparently still terrifying, still there, still moving closer. And it killed him, like it did every time he could tell she was remembering that day; it killed him that his Gwen ever had to go through that horrid experience, and it killed him that she had to relive it _again_.

"Isn't once enough?!" Jack half shouted, standing up and pacing around the floor. "Oh, she had to go through this for real, ages ago, and you'd think once would be enough, but _no_, she _had_ to have a _flashback_, and _now this_. How many times is this going to get at her?! And, oh, I forgot to mention, she has freaking _nightmares_ about this! Come on! How many more times is she going to relive this?!"

Owen looked at Jack, and then he, too, realized what was going on, what Gwen was seeing. "Oh, is she-?"

"She _is_, Owen," Jack seethed. "_Yet again_, she _has_ to remember one _stupid _douche, and that memory just won't leave her alone. How much longer is this going to haunt her?! It's not fair to her. She did _nothing_ to deserve all of this."

"Jack?" He turned to see Gwen, sitting up and then getting to her feet. She took a few steps toward him, but then her knees began to go weak.

"Whoa!" Jack ran to catch her. "I've got you," he said softly.

"Jack…" she whispered. "I-I saw-" Tears formed in her eyes.

"Shhh," Jack murmured. "I know. I know what you saw." He pulled Gwen into his arms and sat with her on the ground, cradling her against his chest, stroking her hair the way he always did when she was upset.

"Jack, he was right there," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I know," was all Jack could say. "I know, and I'm sorry." And he was. He had never regretted anything the way he regretted this.

"I forgive you," Gwen said softly, wiping tears from her eyes. "You didn't know." She got up and walked out the door, pausing to give Jack a little smile, leaving him feeling worse than ever. He jumped up to follow her, and good thing, for her strength wasn't quite regained yet. Luckily, he managed to catch her moments before she passed out, scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the central room of the Hub, where he laid her down on the sofa.

"Here," said Owen. He was holding something, which he tossed to Jack. Jack saw that it was his coat, and he grinned.

"You're catching on, Owen," Jack chuckled. "Thanks." He spread the coat, blanketlike, over Gwen, who had rolled onto her side so she was facing him. She looked peaceful in her sleep, her pale face relaxed, her eyelids only lightly closed, but she was so vulnerable, one hand trembling still, and those soft sounds she made that told Jack she wasn't in fact enjoying rest.

Jack bent down to her level and brushed a bit of hair from her face. "Shhh," he murmured, trying to soothe her and help her rest peacefully, but still she whimpered in her sleep, and it felt as though this was the way the world would end. Not with a bang, but a whimper, Gwen's whimper, and the terrible awful realization that he had truly hurt the beautiful person in front of him.

"It's not your fault." Jack turned to see Tosh, her eyes streaked red with tears. Just another wonderful, kind person who had been hurt by this stupid test. "Jack, really, it's not your fault. Nobody knew what that stuff was going to do."

"We shouldn't have tested the stuff in the first place," Jack argued. "It did nothing, absolutely nothing, and now look where we are! Look what it did to the two of you!" He looked down at Gwen.

Tosh grabbed his shoulder and made him look at her. "You're not just blaming yourself for today, are you? Because you're blaming yourself for what she saw, and I'm guessing she saw _you-know-who_, am I right?" Jack nodded sadly. "You had _nothing_ to do with that," Tosh said emphatically. "_Nothing_. And _you_ know that and _she_ knows that and we _all_ know that. So you can stop blaming yourself for that _right this second_, Jack Harkness. Because I'll tell you one thing: if you keep blaming yourself for anything that asshole did, it'll do her absolutely no good."

She looked down at Gwen, still whimpering a bit in her sleep. "Just stay with her, Jack," she encouraged him. "Take care of her, the way you always do. It's so clear that you love her so much, and she knows it. She'll get through this, I promise. And she doesn't blame you in the least. I know she doesn't. I don't blame you, and I don't blame Owen, either. I still love him, and you're still one of my best friends. And she loves you. God, does she love you. What happened today isn't going to change that, Jack. I promise." She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and turned to go monitor the CCTV.

"Thanks, Tosh," Jack called after her. She turned back to give him a smile.

Another whimper from Gwen caused Jack to look down. "I'm here," he soothed. And then he had an idea. He gently lifted Gwen from the couch and cradled her in his arms as he stretched out on the couch himself, and then laid her down again so her head was resting on his chest. She made a little sighing sound and soon sort-of relaxed into this new position, but still she whimpered a bit. _It's just like any other time she's upset_, Jack thought, and he began to stroke her hair, rubbing her back in little circles with his other hand. "I'm here, Gwen," he said again. He buried a tender kiss in her dark hair. "I've got you; you're safe now." And finally he said the words he always relished in saying to her. "I love you," he whispered into her hair. "I love you so much and I'm never going to leave you, ever." She began to relax in his arms. "That's it," he grinned. "That's it, Gwen. It's okay now. You're safe and sound with me." The whimpering slowly stopped and Jack could tell that she was peacefully asleep now. Finally, he could allow himself to relax as well.

* * *

As Tosh and Owen left (hand in hand, no less), Ianto walked over to the couch to find Jack sound asleep, Gwen sleeping on top of him, and Jack's coat on the ground. He picked it up, and went to put it back in its spot, but then changed his mind, instead spreading it over Gwen like a blanket.

"You forgot this, Jack," he chuckled. "You'd be lost without this thing, honestly." And with that, he walked out the door, and a day full of hallucinations and invisible demons ended quietly in something sweet and wonderfully real.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Chapter twelve of TFTH is here! As always, an extra special thanks to my internet buddies Rachel and Jubilee, as well as to everyone else who reads and reviews my work. Rachel actually gave me the hallucinations idea! Thanks Rachel!**

**Quick quiz for y'alls: I make a literary reference in this chapter that is made in an episode of **_**Doctor Who**_**. Anyone who can tell me what the reference is will get a shoutout in my next chapter, and anyone who can tell me the reference **_**and **_**the episode it's in will get major kudos and a surprise reward! :D**

**Love,**

**Kate**

**UPDATE: My dear internet buddy Seraphina got the answer already! Yay for her!**


	13. On the Rooftop

**Chapter Thirteen: On the Rooftop**

_AN: This one's gonna feature some lovely Harcooper fluff. Enjoy!_

"Gwen? Gwen, are you up here?" Gwen turned around to see Jack coming towards her on the rooftop. "Hey," he grinned. "What're you doing?"

"Just… I don't know," Gwen replied. And she didn't. She just wanted to hang out on the roof a little bit, for no particular reason.

Jack took a seat next to her and put an arm around her back. "I missed you," he teased. "Down there all by myself. It gets lonely."

"Isn't everyone else still downstairs?" Gwen looked at her watch. "Oh… wow, it's late. I had no idea I was up here for so long." She leaned into Jack's shoulder. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright," he said, pressing a kiss into her hair and then letting his head rest on top of hers. "You deserve a bit of a break, you hard worker, you. All those extra hours you spend putting a hundred and ten percent into this place every single day, it's why I just _love_ having you on this team. It's not just because I love _you_." He grinned. "I _do_ love you, though."

"I know," Gwen smiled back, looking up at him with those bright, beautiful emerald eyes that never failed to melt his heart. "And I love you too."

A bit of a breeze blew over, and Gwen shivered a bit, wearing only a T-shirt and jeans. "You cold, Gwen?" Jack asked softly, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. He didn't even wait for an answer; instead, he proceeded to drape his long coat around her shoulders. "There you go," he said, and with another kiss to her hair, he wrapped his arm around her again.

"We should go inside, anyway," Gwen sighed. "It'll only get colder."

"Do you _want_ to go inside?" Jack had a feeling that he knew the answer. Gwen just loved it out here, and she never seemed to want to leave when they were there.

"Not really, but–" Jack turned to her and laid a finger across her lips.

"Shhhhh," he hushed. "I'm not cold at all, and you can borrow this for as long as you want." She chuckled softly as he flicked the collar of the coat. "We don't have to go inside if you don't want to. I know how much you like it here."

A curious look formed in his eyes. "Why _do _you like it out here so much, anyway? I love it too, but I'm just wondering why you do."

Gwen sighed quite contentedly and replied, "It's just so beautiful and incredible up here. Getting to look out over the whole city, and all of the lights, and the sound, and the life out here. All those people, just living a normal life. Y'know, all… grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that's it. And here I am, looking out at them, and I'm not living any sort of normal life at all. I mean, I hunt and catch and fight aliens and live underground with a guy who can't ever die! My life is so much stranger, and so much darker, and so much madder, and so much _better_ than that. And it just makes me feel so lucky."

"I love it up here, too," Jack replied. "It makes me feel kind of… _powerful_, actually. Being on top of the world and not able to die… that's kind of cool, isn't it?" He shot Gwen a playful wink.

"Definitely cool," Gwen confirmed, nodding her assent. "Well… it's kinda cheesy. But it's cool, too. Like you."

"Am I cheesy?" Jack asked. "Really, Gwen, is that what I am? Cheesy? I'm not saying I haven't been called cheesy before, because I have-" he remembered when he had first met Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler's ex-boyfriend, and how Mickey had called him cheesy "-but is that what you think I am?"

"A little, yeah," Gwen laughed. "But I don't mind it. I like it, actually." She pulled Jack's coat tighter around her. "This thing is so warm," she remarked. "I love it."

"I love _you_," Jack replied without missing a beat. "I believe I've mentioned that."

"A few times, yeah," Gwen said, pretending to ponder exactly how many times Jack had told her that he loved her. "Maybe, oh, I dunno, like a hundred billion times?" She laughed, snuggling even closer into Jack's shoulder.

"Well, make that a hundred billion and _one_: I love you, Gwen."

"I love you too, Jack." Their eyes met, twinkling blue against sparkling green, and each could see the love in the other's gaze. Gwen found, the way she had so many times before, that she couldn't turn away from him, his eyes capturing her own as she took in all of the tenderness and care in his expression. Jack too couldn't look away from Gwen, wanting to hold onto her sweet gentleness forever.

At the exact same moment, as though they had planned it, they leaned in towards each other, and it was Jack's lips who delicately embraced Gwen's, Gwen returning the kiss with both the warmth and the intensity of fire.

* * *

It seemed to last an eternity, a wonderful perfect forever that neither one of them wanted to end, but they had to pull away eventually for air.

"Damn breathing," Jack whispered, his impossibly gorgeous face inches away from hers. "Always getting in the way of the stuff that matters, huh?"

Gwen laughed, breathless, and nodded, before her mouth widened in a great big yawn. "I suppose that's our cue to go inside," she said, yawning again.

"Awww, we don't have to _just_ yet. There's something I've always wanted to do." He stood up, helped her up, and then pulled her in close, taking one hand in his and wrapping the other around her back, swaying back and forth. "Dancing on the rooftop," he murmured into her hair. Gwen grinned as she laid her head to rest on Jack's shoulder, wondering whether or not she was dreaming.

* * *

For half an hour they danced to music that only they could hear, but Gwen was soon too tired to go on, and she literally fell asleep on her feet. The moment her knees began to buckle, Jack caught her gracefully and swept her into his arms, her eyes just closing as he carried her downstairs and back to their bedroom.

Jack laid her in their bed ever-so-gently, carefully removing her shoes and his coat before tucking her in as meticulously as he could. He knew Gwen wouldn't care that she was sleeping in her clothes; she did it somewhat frequently. "Thank you for that, Gwen," he whispered, and he kissed her forehead with a feather-light touch before walking around to his side of the bed and crawling in, trying as hard as possible not to disturb her sleep.

"Jack?"

"Hey," he whispered with a smile, turning to meet those oh-so-gorgeous green eyes. But then he noticed her crestfallen expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really…" but her face said otherwise. "It's just, I thought that we were up on the roof… but it was just a dream."

Jack grinned. "What if I told you that we were on the roof, and all of that was real, and you just passed out while we were up there?"

Gwen's eyes lit up. "Is that what happened?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course that's what happened," he laughed. "We were up there, and you fell asleep. Standing up. It was a good thing I was right there, or you would've fallen. And you need to get some sleep, Gwen. Big day as always tomorrow." Gwen nodded, content with the fact that her "dream" was real, and she moved closer to lay her head on Jack's chest, his heartbeat acting as a lullaby.

Without thinking about it, Jack wrapped his arms around Gwen and began to stroke her hair. This little gesture of affection always managed to calm her down, whether she was upset about something or just to soothe her to sleep, and indeed, he felt her relax in his arms the very moment his fingers brushed her curtain of dark silk. "I love you, Gwen," he whispered, the way he'd done every single night since the first time she'd slept at the Hub, and Gwen replied with her usual little content sighing sound that told him she was just falling asleep. Still Jack stroked her hair, knowing that she tended to have awful nightmares and wanting to protect her from whatever might try to plague her tonight.

But Gwen didn't have any nightmares tonight. All that flooded her head was the memory of dancing in Jack's arms on the rooftop, that perfect dream come true. She sighed once more in her sleep, letting the wonderful recollection wash over her like gentle waves on the ocean.

Jack looked down at Gwen and saw that she was deeply asleep, untouched by nightmares or invisible demons. With one last tender kiss to her hairline, he relaxed and too fell asleep, and dreamed of absolutely nothing but dancing with his sweet Gwen in his arms, the best dream he could ever ask for.

* * *

**Hey everybody! Here's TFTH chapter 13! Sorry it took so long to upload; I wanted to make it extra-super-duper awesome. I was, of course, inspired by our favorite Captain's first-ever appearance in the Whoniverse (The Empty Child, series 1, episode 9) when writing this one. Thank you to YouTube for providing me with plenty of videos to assist me!**

**I also somewhat-cleverly hid bits of an inspiring Doctor Who quote in this one. Shoutout in my next chapter to anyone who finds it! Also, Seraphina, my friend, do me a favor and DON'T review with the answer like last time. It ruins the fun of it. PM me instead, people!**

**I'm going to write a few more chapters while I work on Unicorn and the Wasp in Cassie, and then the Big Super Duper Cross will occur. I'll explain how that'll play out in the chapter before the beginning of the cross. I promise you one more Owen/Tosh chapter and probably one other chapter. PM me with prompts, as long as they aren't M-rated.**

**And, last but most decidedly not least: As always, an extra-special thanks, shoutout, and much love to my dearest and most internetly (that's actually a word; look it up on Urban Dictionary) friends Rachel and Jubilee, my fellow Lone Shippers. Together we will take on the vast dark sea of Jantomaniacs and make Harcooper a ABSOLUTE TOTAL THING! Huzzah! Molto bene! Fantastic! Etc! *crickets chirp* No one? Really? I suppose I should've expected that. Like I said. Vast dark sea.**

**Love forever and ever until the end of time! (after that, Moffat takes over and things start to decline) (Have I made that joke in a TFTH AN before?)**

**Kate xxxxx**


	14. Phototracker

**Chapter Fourteen: Phototracker**

_AN: Almost time for the Big Super Duper Cross! This is the last chapter before the cross. This one's gonna be Harcooper, Owen/Tosh and a bit of matchmaker!Ianto._

"Oh, crap," Jack said, looking at the computer. "Damn it, there's a great big Weevil outcropping all over Cardiff. Time for a chase, guys." He sighed. "Guess that's the end of our relaxing day idea, Gwen."

"Oh, no, we're going to have one," Gwen grinned, walking over to Jack's side. "I was talking with Tosh, and she needs to test the phototracker again… and she and Owen have agreed to be tracked."

Jack's face lit up. "Seriously?!"

"I hardly _agreed_," Owen whined. "Tosh dragged me into it."

"Oh, like you have any problem running around Cardiff alone with Tosh," Ianto jumped in. He was quite excited about the opportunity to track one of his pairs of lovebirds all over Cardiff. Gwen and Jack's phototracker test had been fun to watch a few weeks ago, although poor Gwen had had such a rough time of it afterwards. Honestly, there were days when he seriously wanted to walk right up to the bastard who had hurt her, straighten his tie, and punch the living shit out of that doucheface. But anyway. This phototracker test would be _fun_.

"Bet you ten quid they'll snog within the first five minutes," Gwen muttered to Jack.

"I might as well give you the ten quid," he whispered back. The two exchanged quiet giggles.

"Oi, that's us you're talking about!"

"We're perfectly aware of that, _Owen_," Ianto explained, slightly condescendingly. "That's sort of the point."

"I hope you're aware of how utterly I hate you," Owen whined. The following eye-roll was simultaneous.

"Enough of that," Jack said. "You two need to start catching Weevils before people start getting freaked out." He shooed Owen and Tosh out the door. "Ianto, get that phototracker going," he called back. "I want to see whether I'd have had a fraction of a chance at winning Gwen's bet."

"Got it," Ianto called back. He turned on the phototracker. "Let's see, okay, they're getting into the car, and driving away… damn it, I don't know how to tap the cameras in the car."

"I know how," Gwen interjected. She walked over to the computer and typed in a string of commands. In an instant they could see into the car.

"How do you know that?" Jack asked, coming over to the two of them. "I thought Tosh was the only one who knew how to tap cameras."

"I watch her a lot," Gwen explained. "And I have a good memory. Also, the codes are right here." She held up a slip of paper.

Ianto nearly banged his head against a wall. "Really?! I missed that?!"

"You're such a twat," Gwen chuckled. "Wait, no, Owen's the twat. Knucklehead? No, that's Owen also."

"When was Owen a knucklehead?" Jack asked. "I mean, he is one, but has someone called him that?"

"Yeah, remember? We were all around the conference table, the five of us and the Doctor and all of them, and you called Owen a knucklehead."

Jack grinned. "Right, how could I forget? That was when we met Cassie. I liked her. She's pretty sharp, and she's got tons of alien knowledge being a Time Lord. It'd be great to have her on the team, no?"

Gwen nodded. She too had liked Cassie a great deal. "Anyway, let's look at the phototracker." She and Jack looked at the screen. "Any adorableness to report, Ianto?" She grinned, knowing full well that Ianto was quite interested in this.

"Nothing yet," Ianto sighed. "I think you've won the bet, Jack."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Ten quid, if you don't mind."

"We never shook on that one," Gwen retorted. "But… I'll make it up to you." She grinned rather cheekily.

"How?" Jack looked legitimately confused.

She pulled him in and kissed him quickly. "That worth ten quid for you?" she asked.

He sighed. "You know the answer, Gwen." He pulled her in close, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. "God, do I love you."

"Excuse me," Ianto interjected. "As much as I love seeing you being cute together, it looks like something's about to happen over here." He pointed to the screen.

"Owen! I got it!" Tosh had successfully cornered the Weevil. "Just need to inject it with the-_aaaaaahhhhh_!" For the Weevil had just swiped at her with its large and ugly hand, and made a very loud roar.

"Tosh!" Owen ran for her and pushed her behind him. "I've got this. Stay back."

Tosh rolled her eyes. "You don't need to protect me, Owen. I'm fine."

Owen, meanwhile, had injected the Weevil with the sedative. It slumped over, unconscious. "Okay, let's load this guy into the back." During Weevil-hunts, they attached a trailer to the car so they could carry the things. A gaseous form of the sedative sprayed in the trailer kept the creatures asleep.

They carried the Weevil to the car and shoved it into the trailer. Tosh went to get in the car, but Owen grabbed her hand. "Tosh," he said softly.

"Yeah?"

Owen pulled her in close, hugging her gently. "I love you," he murmured. "I know I don't say it often, but I do. And I'm sorry, for not acting like it in front of the others. I just… I don't always know what to do. But I love you, I swear."

Tosh looked at him quizzically. "I never doubted that," she replied. "Owen, what made you think I didn't think that?" She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"The others, they all make fun of me, and I-"

"The _others_," Tosh declared, "are _idiots._ Come here." And with that, she smushed their lips together and kissed him passionately. "I love you," she murmured against his lips. "Owen, I love you, and I know you love me. Understood?"

"Understood," Owen replied. "Let's go catch the next one, shall we?" He took her hand, and the pair made for the car.

* * *

"I've got it!" Tosh dragged the Weevil over to the car, where Owen was stuffing yet another one into the trailer.

"You're amazing, did you know that?" He checked the monitors. "That's all of them. We can head back to base now."

"We don't have to," Tosh grinned, and she pulled him over to where she had caught the Weevil. "Look at _that_." She pointed at the sunset, all pink and golden and purple clouds "It's _beautiful_." And with that, she dragged Owen over to a bench facing the gorgeous view. "Can we, Owen?"

"Sure," he grinned. He wrapped an arm around her back. "They won't miss us back at base. Ianto's probably getting a kick out of watching us here anyway."

"That I am," Ianto said through the comm. "Carry on, you two. The phototracker's working _beautifully_, but I believe we need more evidence. Right, guys?"

"Definitely," Gwen laughed. "This isn't anywhere _near_ enough evidence. Right, Jack? Not enough evidence?"

"You know what I'll say, Gwen." He gave her a quick kiss and then pushed the button on his comm. "Carry on, you two. We don't have anything to do." He turned to Gwen. "Actually, I think the two of us do. Rooftop?"

"Oh, God yes," she grinned. "See you later, Ianto. Have fun watching them."

"You two have fun," Ianto laughed, and he watched as his two success stories watched the sunset. God, he loved his team.

* * *

**Hey y'alls! Here's chapter 14 of TFTH! The Big Super Duper Cross is ON THE WAY! I'm going to explain how that's going to play out. The cross is going to start with the next chapter here (Sneak peek: it's going to be called "The Unthinkable Happens") and then switch over to telling the story in **_**Cassie**_**. And, since the cross leads directly into the rewrite of Stolen Earth, the story's going to be continued there. So TFTH is going to take a brief hiatus. I'd suggest that you take that time to catch up in **_**Cassie**_ **because when I come back to TFTH, it'll… Just read **_**Cassie**_**, 'kay?**

**As usual, many thanks to my Lone Shippers Rachel and Jubilee and many hugs to all of my friends!**

**Love,**

**Kate xxxx**


	15. The Unthinkable Happens

**Chapter Fifteen: The Unthinkable Happens**

_AN: This is the chapter that starts the Big Super Duper Cross with Cassie! Warning: this one will be a bit angsty. Enjoy!_

"Guys, we have a spacecraft," Tosh called. The entire team ran over and saw the picture on Tosh's monitor.

"Never seen one of those before," Jack mused, looking at the thing that had landed. "Wonder what it is? Well, we should go after it before the police get to it and cause a catastrophe." And with that, he headed towards the door, grabbing his coat on the way. "You coming?" he asked the others. Gwen ran to catch up with him, grabbing his hand as he opened the door, Owen and Tosh following her, holding hands. (Ianto mentally punched the air.)

A few moments later, they reached the site where the spacecraft had landed. "I won't poke a hole in this one, I _promise_," Gwen laughed.

"I got our first kiss out of that," Jack teased. "I don't exactly blame you."

"That kiss _so _didn't count," Gwen retorted. "And Owen hated me for a month afterwards. Anyway. Let's take care of this thing and leave."

All of a sudden, a door opened in the spacecraft and something resembling a giant snake began to slither out of the ship.

Gwen nearly shrieked. She happened to hate snakes a great deal, but she tried to keep her cool, knowing that screaming would only worry Jack, and perhaps make the alien afraid or angry or something.

"Okay…" Jack and the others stepped back a bit. "Okay, who are you, and what are you doing here? I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and this is Torchwood. We won't hurt you, as long as you don't hurt us. Got that?"

The creature looked directly at Jack, its skinny, slit-like eyes meeting the captain's bright blue ones. It clearly had heard and understood what he said. And then it looked at Gwen. She took another step back, afraid, and it lunged directly at her.

"No!" Jack tried to get in front of her, but it was too late. Blood stained her pants as the snake sank its fangs into her leg. "Gwen!" She began to collapse, the snake's bite apparently filled with poisonous venom.

"Jack, catch!" Owen tossed them each a gas mask. Jack quickly put his on, and then Gwen's. A cloud of gas filled the air as Owen sprayed the creature, which died in seconds. "Move it!" He grabbed Tosh's hand and ran for the car, Jack just behind him, carrying Gwen, who had passed out completely.

As soon as they reached the car, Jack burst through the door, cradling Gwen in his arms the whole way to the Hub. "I've got you, Gwen," Jack murmured, one hand on her wrist, feeling her pulse. "I've got you, now just stay with me." He kissed her forehead, already burning with some sort of poison-induced fever, and tears began to form in his eyes.

* * *

(Gwen's POV)

Everything's spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning. I can't see anything because it's all moving, shifting. I feel hot and cold all at the same time, and _everything_ hurts. I can't think straight. Everything in my head is confused and muddled. I can feel movement from under me and it makes me feel sick. I want to puke… I want to puke so badly… I think I might be dying.

And then I hear singing, so far away and also so very close, and somehow it clears my head. I breathe in and out and try to focus on the singing.

"That's it," the singing voice soothes. "Stay with me, Gwen, just stay with me…"

"Jack," I try to call out, because now I know that it's Jack who was singing and encouraging me. I can't tell at first whether I said it aloud, but then I hear his voice again.

"Shhhh," he coos in my ear. "Shhhh, Gwen, don't try to talk. Just breathe, my love, just breathe and stay with me…"

_He's never called me his love before_, I think, and I want to say this aloud, but I know I shouldn't. Instead I just do as he says and breathe in and out, trying to hold onto the little strength I have.

"That's it," he repeats. "Come on, Gwen, you can do it. Just a bit longer, until we're home. You can do it. Breathe." His encouragement gives me the strength I need to hold on, and although I can't see much, I can feel the turns in the road and somehow I can feel that we're close to home.

The car doors open and I feel motion under me as Jack lifts me into his arms and begins running as fast as he can. I want to puke again but I don't really care; Jack is holding me and I'm going to be okay. I can hear Owen, telling Ianto to open all the doors through his comm, and Ianto's voice back. I don't know what he's saying but he's worried, I can tell. Tosh, too, is worried. I'm worried, too.

Suddenly I'm not in Jack's arms anymore; I'm on a table, and Owen's hooking me up to all sort of machinery and monitors. I can't hear Jack anymore. Where is he? I want desperately to call his name, but I know he wouldn't want me to. I wait, and wait, and still don't hear him, and finally I begin to worry. "Jack!" I think I may have screamed but maybe I only whispered, but either way, suddenly I hear his voice, soothing and calm, and then his coat's on top of me and his scent's all around me and I instantly feel better. He strokes my hair and brushes his hand across my cheek. I think I might actually survive this.

"I'm here, Gwen," he murmurs. "I'm here. I promise you, Gwen, I'm here and I'm never, ever, ever going to leave you." I feel his lips on my forehead, and my stomach turns circles, turning even more as he tells me he loves me, over and over and over again. But even though my gut is flopping like a fish out of water, I also feel a million times better because Jack is here, comforting me, and I know that I'm going to be okay.

* * *

"Jack, it's not looking good," Owen muttered. "I don't know what I can do. I have no idea what that thing was or how to cure the poison. It's not a usual human sort of toxin; it's alien and I don't know what to do.

Tears formed in Jack's eyes again. "Gwen," he whispered. "Oh my God, I'm gonna lose her. What the hell am I going to do without her? I love her so much…"

Ianto came over to Jack and wrapped his arms around his boss comfortingly. He had been so happy when Jack and Gwen had found each other, and now Jack was going to lose this girl whom he loved so dearly. "Shhh," he murmured. "Jack, we're going to figure something out. She's gonna make it." He tilted Jack's head, forcing their eyes to meet. "Think. Come on, _think_! You're smart, Jack, and you've faced a ton. If anyone can save her, it's you. Now think. Everything you know, everything you've seen, remember it right now and _save that girl's life_. You can do it. I know you can do it. She's going to live. Gwen Cooper is going to live."

Jack closed his eyes and thought from the beginning. He had learned the most about aliens as a Time Agent… but nothing about giant snakes.

And then it hit him. In an instant he knew what to do.

"Keep an eye on her, Ianto," he called. "I need to make a phone call!"

"Who're you calling?" Ianto asked. But Jack was gone.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter 15 and the beginning of the Big Super Duper Cross. The next part of the story will be told in "Cassie." Keep an eye on my profile!**

**As usual, love and thanks to my darling Rachel and my dearest Jubilee, my Lone Shippers.**

**Love,**

**Kate**


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